Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Silverado owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, he dozed off as the vehicle drifted off to the right shoulder of the highway. The contact regained alertness once the vehicle drove over the highway's rumble strip. As the contact attempted to regain control of the vehicle; the vehicle crashed into a tree. The contact's face smashed into the steering wheel as both the driver's seat belt shoulder strap and the driver's air bag failed to operate as needed. Moments after smashing his head into the steering, the contact stated that the air bag deployed with a delay which caused severe cuts to the contact's face. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance where he was treated for multiple severe injuries. …
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V097000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the driver's side seat belt was not functioning properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver's side seat belt assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 418,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The fuel gauge sending unit failed (I go by mileage to know if I need fuel or not). Driver's side seat belt locks up when you go to look to change lanes (dealer couldn't reproduce the problem--so it's never been fixed). Passenger seat belt locks up if you just lean forward to roll down the window (was told this was a mechanism for a baby seat--didn't think car seats were supposed to be in the front seat). Right side daytime running lamp burned out a long time ago. ABS module failed (had to pull the fuse so the pump wouldn't burn up) therefore the truck no longer has ABS. Driver's side front wheel hub failed due to lack of grease in the non-consumer maintainable bearing (the whole hub had to be replaced). The water pump has already failed (replaced that). The transmission is starting to slip here & there. …
Dt: driver's side safety belt will not extend so it can be used. Will not come out of the reel. The other concern were the ABS brakes. Had situations while in traffic the ABS activated on their own. This removes control from the driver, and is startling when it happens. There is a vibration from the ABS. Tried to corrrespond with GM, but feot concerns have fallen on deaf ears. No repair has been made as of yet. The seat belt began to fail on 1-1-03, and the ABS system began to malfunction on 2-10-05.
Brakes locked up while the consumer was driving 25-35 MPH, causing vehicle to crash into a tree. Contacted dealer who was not willing to do anything. Consumer has documentation that the ABS module malfunctioned, there were 2 injuries, consumer does not believe that the recall on the seat belts was not repaired.
1999 Chevrolet Silverado faulty driver restraint system. The vehicle was involved in an accident. The safety belt failed to the restrain the driver, and the air bag did not deploy. The driver received serious head injuries. (lawyer john kelly on behalf of client, james scott).
My driver's side seatbelt consistently gets stuck and won't come out. Also both my front windows are broken. The mechanism that moves them up and down has broken and they now fall down into the door as a result. There was no accident or incident of any kind to initiate these problems.
Vehicle was involved in a 40 MPH frontal collision in which driver and passenger air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. Also, front end of vehicle was totalled/ damaged, unknown if air bag sensors were actually hit in the collision. Seat belts failed during the accident.
While driving 40 MPH, had a direct frontal impact and driver's air bag deployed. But driver, who was in a seat belt, hit the steering wheel and sustainedmajor injuries. Please provide further information and VIN#.
The recall remedy failed, within 19,000 miles of having the front seat belt retractor recall 01V159000 performed. The failure described in the recall occurred on the passenger side seat belt retractor.
Seat Belt complaints in other Silverado years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the seat belts of the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, 3% of the model year's 1,660 complaints. The component named most often is front › anchorage (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Silverado seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Silverado seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries to seat belts problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.